If you love dogs, I have a question(s)

[Anonymous]

Have you ever thought about getting involved as a dog foster parent with a dog rescue organization? What is stopping you from being a dog foster parent?

I'm interested in finding ways to help people become dog foster parents, and I'm wondering what prevents people from getting involved.

The rescue org pays for all food and veterinary costs, flea preventative, heartworm preventative.... All you have to do is love the dog and treat it as you would treat your own dog. Also (at least with the rescues I work with) there are no adoption fairs, the dog is matched up with specific adopters and you and the potential adopter meet at a time and place that is mutually agreeable....

Anyway if you have any ideas on what holds people back from fostering, I am all ears. Thanks!

[Anonymous]

The same reason we don't have a dog: we work outside the home and are gone for too long each day.

[Anonymous]

Which makes sense if you don't already have a dog,

but what about people who *already* have a dog at home?

And PP, what if the foster group was able to connect you with a reduced fee mid-day dog walking service?

[Anonymous]

One of my dogs is scared of other dogs so it would stress her to have different ones in the home

We also have a toddler and I would be nervous to have dogs I'm not familiar with in the home with her

[Anonymous]

I love dogs. I have 3 dogs already and I have teenagers. I would happily volunteer my time at a kennel type setting but trying to add more dogs into my own house, especially introducing new/strange dogs into my home, seems daunting at this point in time.

[Anonymous]

Honestly, what holds us back is the attachment to the dog. We don't feel we would be able to open our home and hearts then turn it over to its adoptive family. Even though we would be thrilled that it is going to a good home, it would be hard on us every time one left us.

[Anonymous]

I have a dog and thought about it, but with work and travel, I have to board my dog several times, and that wouldn't work with fostering a dog. Even if they take the dog back for a few days while you travel, I think it would be traumatic for a dog to be taken back and forth like that. Whereas my own dog loves people where he boards and they adore him. I looked at applications and they ask if you are available to be there a lot more than for your own dog, there are demands, crating, training, separate room, many issues as well. Once your own dog is house trained and fine, you can leave him alone for more hours per day than you could a foster dog. At least, that was my observation from the strict process for fostering.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have a dog and thought about it, but with work and travel, I have to board my dog several times, and that wouldn't work with fostering a dog. Even if they take the dog back for a few days while you travel, I think it would be traumatic for a dog to be taken back and forth like that. Whereas my own dog loves people where he boards and they adore him. I looked at applications and they ask if you are available to be there a lot more than for your own dog, there are demands, crating, training, separate room, many issues as well. Once your own dog is house trained and fine, you can leave him alone for more hours per day than you could a foster dog. At least, that was my observation from the strict process for fostering.

What if you were offered respite care givers? People in the foster group who would take the foster dog (and maybe even your dog) when you go on vacation?

[Anonymous]

It's a lot of work, OP. Some of these foster dogs have major issues which would need to be remedied by much time and effort.

For people who can barely keep their head above water with their own pets, their work, their kids and the kids' activities, the housework, let alone their own leisure, it's a non-starter.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I love dogs. I have 3 dogs already and I have teenagers. I would happily volunteer my time at a kennel type setting but trying to add more dogs into my own house, especially introducing new/strange dogs into my home, seems daunting at this point in time.

How do your dogs get their mid-day walk/pee break? Are you at home to walk them?

Would you be willing to help someone who lives near you be a foster by also walking their foster dog?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's a lot of work, OP. Some of these foster dogs have major issues which would need to be remedied by much time and effort.

For people who can barely keep their head above water with their own pets, their work, their kids and the kids' activities, the housework, let alone their own leisure, it's a non-starter.

I understand. I've fostered, and some of the dogs do have significant issues. Some have been very easy. Basically I incorporate the foster dog into the schedule of my own dog. When I applied to be a dog foster, I let them know that I'm not good at training dogs; I'm good at loving them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I love dogs. I have 3 dogs already and I have teenagers. I would happily volunteer my time at a kennel type setting but trying to add more dogs into my own house, especially introducing new/strange dogs into my home, seems daunting at this point in time.

How do your dogs get their mid-day walk/pee break? Are you at home to walk them?

Would you be willing to help someone who lives near you be a foster by also walking their foster dog?

I am at home on/off throughout the day. Yes, I would be willing to help out a foster nearby.

[Anonymous]

I love dogs. My own dog is really well trained. I can't deal with peeing indoors or tearing up anything.

But I would be a foster for my breeds. I have a shih tsu and a Maltese. I think most people think of foster dogs as being pit bulls who have trouble being adopted. My breeder would take my dogs back in an instant if something was wrong and I couldn't care for them any longer. The breeder didn't want them going to the pound.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Honestly, what holds us back is the attachment to the dog. We don't feel we would be able to open our home and hearts then turn it over to its adoptive family. Even though we would be thrilled that it is going to a good home, it would be hard on us every time one left us.

Yes, I agree, it's a very poignant feeling to walk away from a dog that's lived with you for weeks or sometimes, even months. I still miss every dog I've fostered. My 8 year old really cried when we let one go. But she understands that we are doing a good thing. Both my kids are on board with this as a good deed. We can't adopt all the world's needy dogs, but for the dogs we have fostered, we have changed the world. I will say that with some of the adopters, I've stayed in touch, so I can still visit the dog if we both want. I've even dog-sat for my adopters when they go out of town. Nice to see the dog is happy and well-adjusted. But yes my heart aches even just sitting here thinking about my "graduates"

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I love dogs. My own dog is really well trained. I can't deal with peeing indoors or tearing up anything.

But I would be a foster for my breeds. I have a shih tsu and a Maltese. I think most people think of foster dogs as being pit bulls who have trouble being adopted. My breeder would take my dogs back in an instant if something was wrong and I couldn't care for them any longer. The breeder didn't want them going to the pound.

You can specify what dogs you will or will not foster. You can always decline a foster or ask for a specific dog. I only do small dogs, because I have a chihuahua as my own dog. So the smaller the better.